The man behind the book
Yotam Ottolenghi is an acclaimed chef and a staple cookbook in many homes. If you are vaguely interested in cooking, you probably have one or five of his cookbooks in your kitchen. The London-based chef has had a significant influence over the food scene in the UK, introducing flavours from the middle east that have gripped food lovers across the globe.
If you don’t have any of his huge collection of cookbooks you might follow his weekly Guardian recipe recommendations, as I do. Or perhaps you follow him on the New York Times Cooking or the Washington Post Voraciously online. The appeal of Ottolenghi’s recipes comes from the discarding of fussy, over-the-top meals in favour of meals full of flavour, using high quality and fresh ingredients and combining it in an accessible way, from experienced to novice cooks. This inclusive approach to cooking has built a loyal following not only for his recipes and writing but also for his range of restaurants.
The innovation that is Simple
Most who are already fans of Ottolenghi’s books would know that they contain an astounding number of recipes, often with a long list of ingredients, and even though all the recipes work and produce incredible flavour, they can be time-consuming to cook on a regular weeknight. All the recipes in Simple, unlike his other cookbooks, are designed to be cookable by ordinary cooks who don’t want to fuss with a long or obscure list of ingredients for a simple weeknight dinner.
All these recipes are achievable for a casual lunch or busy weeknight dinner, which is what makes this recipe book so unique amongst his long list of published books. It’s a book that many will want to cook from front to back, including a delicious array of seasonal, fresh and plant-forward recipes that is sure to produce healthy, satisfying and most importantly, unfussy meals. Most of the recipes include only a handful of ingredients and are sorted by the time it takes to make them, or by the number of ingredients, making it super easy to flick to the part of the book that suits you that day.
Ottolenghi’s Key Ingredients
There are a few key ingredients listed called “Ottolenghi Ingredients” that most familiar with his recipes will already have in the pantry but someone new to his cooking might consider acquiring. Some of these include sumac, tahini, za’atar, preserved lemons or pomegranate molasses. This is used in addition to what he calls “Everyday Ingredients” such as olive oil (used in abundance), lemons, Greek-style yoghurt, dried pasta or tinned anchovies. With these ingredients at the ready in your pantry, you will have the building blocks to create the recipes in Simple. These ingredients are artfully combined to create dished bursting with flavour and texture.
Some of my favourite recipes are the Courgette, pea and basil soup (see my version of the recipe here, Curried lentil, tomato and coconut soup and the Butternut squash with sweetcorn salsa, feta and pumpkin seeds. The recipes are clearly written with easy-to-follow instructions and striking photographs.
Would I buy this book again?
Yes! I would highly recommend Simple by Ottolenghi to anyone looking for super flavourful meals and fuss-free recipes. Whether you are an experienced or novice cook, this cookbook is sure to inspire you to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with some new ingredients and flavours.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks:
- Ottolenghi, The Cookbook
- Plenty
- Plenty More
- Jerusalem, Cookbook
- Nopi, the Cookbook
- Sweet
- Simple
- Falastin
- Flavour
- Shelf Love
- Extra Good Things
